Eminian: Rivermen adapting with new 'gritty' style

The Peoria Rivermen were accustomed to changing personnel as next-level teams raided their skill-heavy roster.

But last week, Peoria's SPHL team underwent a significant change in philosophy, too.

"Anyone looking at our team will tell you from the beginning of the season we've lacked a physical presence," Rivermen coach Jean-Guy Trudel said. "We haven't had that one player who can serve as a deterrent to opponents who want to take advantage of our skill players.

"I call it a heavy game. Hard checks. Gritty style. That's how we're going to have to play, it's a transition for us because the skill guys are getting called up."

Already gone are Garrett Vermeersch, Tyler Fernandez, Parker Stanfield — essentially a No. 1 line on any team in the league — all to ECHL call-ups.

Peoria winger/defenseman Nick Wheeler joined them on Monday, called-up to ECHL Cincinnati.

As the skill drained on Peoria's team, Trudel made a decision last week to reach for a tough guy in veteran Aaron McGill. He dealt skilled center Corey Tamblyn to Fayetteville to get him.

It helped balance the roster, and McGill paid immediate dividends in Peoria's two-game sweep on the road against the Mississippi Surge.

"He's not a guy who is going to let his teammates be taken advantage of," Trudel said. "I told the team, 'He has your back, and you have to make sure you have his. It's not a one-man job.'

"Fayetteville asked for a lot, they wanted Tamblyn. We made the deal because we had to change the complexion of things here. We knew we'd have to adjust what kind of team we have to be now.

"We don't have as much skill, all that offense, so we have to be more physical, tougher, work harder and do the little things

"You can see the difference McGill makes already. He talks to our guys on the bench, keeps them focused and calm, builds intensity into the game."

"He's a great guy. Not afraid to get into the areas where you have to be brave to be there. A force to be reckoned with. We need a guy like that. And we need everyone in here to step up with him."

** Rank, after helping the Rivermen shut out Bloomington 3-0 on Wednesday:

"This was a big game for us tonight. A key reaction to the (2-0 loss) on Tuesday. This is the point of the league. Guys get called-up. Guys get traded. You have to go on and keep playing for the guy in the locker next to you. No matter who that is."

** Bloomington coach Greg Pankewicz to the Bloomington Pantagraph, upset after Wednesday's 3-0 loss at Peoria, during which referees Terrence Murphy and Ken Anderson made some fuzzy calls, including a stretch where the Thunder went to the box four times in a span of 3:41:

"I don't even know how many 5-on-3s because there were so many. You should never not know. It's the same guy. It's the same guy when all those penalty minutes were handed out in that big melee (Nov. 30) that cost (former Bloomington coach) Brian Gratz his job. It's the same guy. Somebody has to do something about that particular referee. It's the same guy making the same calls. He cost us two points, he cost Gratz his job, he cost guys their jobs. Something has to be done about him. Maybe he doesn't officiate our games ... I've never seen that type of officiating before in my life and I've seen a lot of hockey games. Whatever the fine is, I guess I'll send it in now."

"It's not always up to par, but that's something you can say at any level. A lot of penalties were called tonight that maybe were questionable, but a lot more were not called that could have been. We're not going to get involved in that. It's never about the officiating, in my eyes. It's about two teams going out there and getting after it, and whether they win or lose games is in the teams' hands."

QUIT WHILE AHEAD? Rivermen assistant coach Kevin Tucker served as interim head coach Friday at Mississippi while head coach Jean-Guy Trudel remained at the team hotel, stricken by the flu.

"It was 3:45 p.m. and I was still getting sick, and could hardly even walk," Trudel said. "I told Tucker 'You have to do this. You're gonna coach the game.' I texted every guy on the team and explained the situation to them, and told them to win it for Tucks."

They did, beating the Surge 3-2 in overtime on a comeback that started in the final minute of the third period.

"He (Tucker) came back to the room and sat down on his bed, still in his suit, and just stared for about 15 minutes, didn't say a word," Trudel said, laughing. "Then, finally, he says 'I think pulled the goalie with 1:45 left. I didn't know what else to do.'

"He did a fantastic job and came through. It's funny now, but he was in a daze for a while afterward."

Tucker's reward? At 1-0, he now holds the highest winning percentage on the all-time Peoria franchise coaching victories list.

RIVER READINGS: The Rivermen will sign winger Jeremiah Ketts to a full SPHL contract on Tuesday. ... Peoria center Nick Prockow now is seventh in the SPHL scoring race with 12 goals and 16 assists in 26 games. He is the fourth Rivermen player this season (Garrett Vermeersch, Parker Stanfield, Tyler Fernandez) to be among the top 10 in SPHL scoring. ... Rivermen goaltender Kyle Rank is fourth in the SPHL with a 2.16 goals-against and .932 saves rate, while rookie partner Eric Levine is 10th at 2.97 and .904. Peoria, Pensacola and the Mississippi RiverKings are the only teams to have two goalies among the top 10 in the league. ... Bryant Doerrsam, a tough defenseman the Rivermen acquired in a deal last month with Louisiana, could return to the Peoria roster this week and play. He failed his physical in the first attempt, but he is now cleared to return. ... The Rivermen bused right into the teeth of the winter storm that rocked central Illinois Sunday. The team's scheduled 14-hour return from Biloxi, Miss., took 21 hours.

Dave Eminian covers the Rivermen for the Journal Star. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Check out his sports blog, Cleve's World, at pjstar.com and follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.